AUDI A6OK itís a Wrap
Amidst scenes reminiscent of the Eurovision Song Contest, Audi gave journalists
around Europe a sneak preview of the brand new A6 due to be unveiled to the
public at the Geneva Motor Show on 2 March. At 7.20pm on 16 February chairman
of Audi AG, Dr Martin Winterkorn, pulled the wraps off the car in Berlin whilst a
satellite link-up saw a co-ordinated unveiling in London, Stockholm, Milan, Paris
and Madrid.Family Auto ReUnion
The London premiere took place at the Audi Forum, the brandís central London
showroom in Piccadilly where various Audi personnel led by Ralph Weyler (Board
Member for Sales & Marketing) and including departmental heads Claus Potthof
(Exterior Design) and Dr Horst Glaser (Suspension & Drivetrain Development)
took part. However it was Johnny Herbert at the wheel of the sleek blue machine
when the curtains were pulled back. Both he and Audi returnee Alan McNish were
in town for the event before jetting off to Atlanta the next morning in order to put in
some pre-Sebring testing with Audi UKís R8. McNish, incidentally, is delighted to
be back in the Audi fold likening it to a family re-union.Bells & Whistles
The new A6 follows the theme shown with the recent new A8 that has been
accepted as the sportiest car in its class Ė this is very much the way Audi want
their cars to be seen. It comes with quite a choice of petrol and diesel engines, the
range topped by a 335bhp 4.2-litre V8. Transmission is via a choice of six-speed
manual, six-speed tiptronic or variable mulitronic automatic transmission.
Needless to say, quattro permanent four-wheel drive is on offer too. The driving
experience is intended to be sporty too, via the well laid-out cockpit, with a lot of
effort going into the suspension design whilst stiffness of the bodyshell has been
further increase.